John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. [Namely], five lords of the Philistines , etc.] The places they were lords of were Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron; (see Joshua 13:3); three of these, Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, had been taken from them by Judah, since the death of Joshua, ( Judges 1:18); but they soon recovered them again, perhaps by the help of the other two. The Philistines were a people originally of Egypt, but came from thence and settled in these parts, and were here as early as in the times of Abraham, and were very troublesome neighbours to the Israelites in later times; (see Genesis 10:14 21:32,33); and all the Canaanites ; these were a particular tribe or nation in the land so called, which inhabited by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan, ( Numbers 13:29); otherwise this is the general name for the seven nations: and the Sidonians ; the inhabitants of the famous city of Sidon, which had its name from the firstborn of Canaan, ( Genesis 10:15); and the Hivites that dwelt in Mount Lebanon ; on the north of the land of Canaan: from Mount Baalhermon ; the eastern part of Lebanon, the same with Baalgad, where Baal was worshipped: unto the entering in of Hamath ; the boundary of the northern part of the land, which entrance led into the valley between Libanus and Antilibanus; (see Numbers 34:8 Joshua 11:3 13:5).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - As the Israelites were a type of the church on earth, they were not to be idle and slothful. The Lord was pleased to try them by the remain of the devoted nations they spared. Temptations and trials detect the wickedness of the hearts of sinners; and strengthen he graces of believers in their daily conflict with Satan, sin, and this evil world They must live in this world, but they are not of it, and are forbidde to conform to it. This marks the difference between the followers of Christ and mere professors. The friendship of the world is more fata than its enmity; the latter can only kill the body, but the forme murders many precious souls.
Original Hebrew חמשׁת2568 סרני5633 פלשׁתים6430 וכל3605 הכנעני3669 והצידני6722 והחוי2340 ישׁב3427 הר2022 הלבנון3844 מהר2022 בעל חרמון1179 עד5704 לבוא935 חמת׃2574
